Loquacious women walking
Talking the talk and walking the walk for change
(Performing at Radio New Zealand - shot by Cassie Roma)
Cassie and I bonded over a love of talking.
From the first day we met on Zoom, we waxed lyrical on equality, imposter syndrome, leadership, self-worth, and how much better the world would be if we could kick down patriarchal systems of marginalization.
We shared our mutual wishes of helping women, LGBTQ+, and BIPOC people in creative businesses feel empowered and supported. To shift the balance of power away from pale, male, and stale.
We talked so much that we eventually launched a podcast - the perfect place for the loquacious.
But talking doesn’t mean anything if you don’t also walk the walk.
A few months ago, I asked Cassie if she would shoot some live videos of my band, Tattletale Saints, next time we were all in Nashville so we could use them to promote our March New Zealand tour.
I thought it would be an hour of her time and expected her to use her nice iPhone 13 Pro camera and maybe set up a tripod if she felt fancy.
But that’s not Cassie’s way.
When she steps out on the path of helping someone, she’s ready to run a marathon for them.
Since that first Nashville shoot (with a fancy af professional camera, no less), Cassie has filmed us at multiple locations around Nashville, including reminiscing about our joint divorce party many years ago at our favorite local spot, Dee’s. She got up at 5 am to capture us walking through the arrival gate at Auckland airport, filmed us loading, setting up, and performing at Radio New Zealand (pic above), and collecting our first vinyl record from the manufacturers. She sent us off on tour with a GoPro for tour diaries and lined up interviews and filming at two more gigs.
All of this is destined to become a documentary, and it’s 100% down to Cassie’s energy and love for helping women in creativity that any of it is happening.
She also schlepped gear back from the USA for us, welcomed us into her home, helped us move merch when we ran out of time yesterday and has been promoting our album release and tour dates.
Walking the walk y’all.
In 2019, The Recording Academy launched the Women In The Mix Pledge, an initiative designed to help change the disparity in producers. Of the 25 men who pledged to work with women producers, only four followed through.
85% of Grammy Award Nominees in 2023 are men. This study from 2021 reports 87.3% of songwriters, 78.2% of artists, and 97.2% of producers are men.
The statistics are depressing and changing far too slowly.
I don’t believe men are all sitting on top of their piles of success, gleefully watching inequality in action. I know many of them do want to see change. But it’s hard to really fight for change when best case scenario, your life won’t change much, and worst case, you might have to share your slice of a pie you’ve legitimately worked hard for.
Change is going to come from women supporting women.
The way Cassie does.
Ava Duvernay, best known for films and TV shows that explore the experiences of African Americans, said, “I'm not going to continue knocking on that old door that doesn't open for me. I'm going to create my own door and walk through that.”
The music industry is a system designed by white men for white men. The system isn’t broken; it is working exactly as planned.
If women are to create a system that works for us, we must stop waiting for men to change. We need to start living the change we want to see.
We need to hire each other for sessions.
Book each other for gigs.
Create gig line-ups and festivals filled with women artists (oh, hi, Brandi Carlile’s Girls Just Wanna Weekend).
Teach and support each other.
Share our resources and knowledge freely and constantly with each other.
Buy each other’s albums.
Share each other’s posts.
Gift tickets to each other’s shows to our friends and family.
When a good opportunity comes along, we need to bring other women with us.
If we get a foot in the door to a wonderful building, we must stick our boots in it and help other women run through with us.
I’m not suggesting we stop working with men - that feels counterintuitive to the goal of equality in the industry and, sometimes, given the currently low numbers of women working in industry roles, frankly, impossible.
But we need to start living the change we want to see; creating a place in the music industry that works for us instead of waiting for men to allow us a nibble of their pie.
It’s time to step into our power as producers, promoters, managers, artists, and players. It’s time to hire other women as often as you are able. And if you’re not in a position to hire anyone, it’s time to buy, like, and share the work of female musicians as often as you can.
Because if women aren’t supporting other women, how can we complain that men don’t?
It’s time to walk the walk.
Another educational and inspiring post! I always knew men monopolized the music business but I did not know the mind blowing percentages.
You are absolutely correct in saying women need to support other female artists and walk the walk.
I remember paying a male publisher to listen to my songs and offer feedback . We had met through an NSAI Pitch to Publisher event where he chose my song. The entire hour meeting he had me listen to 5-6 songs of various male artists. We never listened to mine. He simply talked about these artists and their songs.
ANY meeting I have had with a female has been the opposite experience. They have listened, encouraged and pointed me in the right direction. Do I work with some amazing men in the music business? Of course. But I am so thankful for women like yourself and appreciate you sharing.
Gotchu, always, Boo.